Author Notes
When I composed this salad, I was planning my first Thanksgiving dinner. I wanted a contemporary and clean dish to contrast the richness of all of the different family traditions that would crowd the buffet. The tenderness of the lettuce along with the brightness of the pomegranate seeds and palate-cleansing fennel, rounded out by the warming qualities of the hazelnuts and persimmons make this the perfect autumn salad. —wanderash
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Ingredients
- Persimmon and Pomegranate Autumn Salad
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1
head butter lettuce about 1/4 pound (sometimes called Boston lettuce), torn into pieces
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1-2
fuyu persimmon, sliced into wedges
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1/3 cup
hazelnuts, toasted and lightly crushed
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1
fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
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1/3 cup
pomegranate seeds
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Parmesan cheese, make thin wide slices with a vegetable peeler
- Sherry Vinaigrette
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1
shallot, minced
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1 teaspoon
Dijon mustard
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1 teaspoon
honey
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1/3 cup
Sherry vinegar
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1/2 cup
hazelnut oil
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Salt
Directions
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For the vinaigrette, whisk the first five ingredients together in a large bowl, when well combined slowly pour the oil in while you are whisking. To keep your bowl in place, put the bowl in a pot, or on a kitchen towel, rolled and made into a ring. Taste and adjust seasoning.
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Place all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl, except the pomegranate seeds and parmesan. Pour 1/4 of the dressing over the salad and toss well. I dig right in with my hands and make sure everything is well coated and mixed.
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Taste a piece of lettuce and add more dressing depending on your preference.
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Divide evenly among 6-8 plates and sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and parmesan “peels” over each salad.
My love for all things delicious lead me to the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and three years of working in restaurants and wineries in Napa Valley. My love of travel has propelled me all over the world. After living in Honduras and Mexico for the past 5 yrs., my two children, super-hero husband, and I have just moved to the Midwest....... A new chapter is unfolding....
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